C&C Generals: Zero Hour: Generals Challenge Walkthrough: Air Force General

The USA Air Force General Challenge
Difficulty: Hard
Guide Written By: ZergSwarms
 
Note: The strategies present in this guide are strategies that I have for the most part tested. I may have made some slight changes to what I had actually done, but do not stray too far from the general idea. Please keep in mind that in no way is this the only way to complete the challenge.
 
Overview:
General Granger is one of the easiest generals to defeat in the Generals Challenge. I find that unfortunate, as USAF is my favorite faction. Nevertheless, Granger can catch you off guard.
 
Enemy Arsenal:
  • King Raptors - often sent in pairs
  • Comanches - Stealthed, sent two or three at a time
  • Auroras - sent in pairs
  • Stealth Fighters - sent in pairs
  • Combat Chinooks - periodically throughout game, loaded with Missile Defenders
  • Ranger Drops,
  • Specter Gunships
  • NO Superweapons, Carpet Bombs, or A-10 Strikes
 
This walkthrough is broken up into three parts, by faction. Read the guide for the faction of your choice:

 


GLA Generals Vs. USA Air Force General

The Global Liberation Army should start off by creating a Supply Stash followed by a Barracks. Once the Supply Stash is created, train workers to collect supplies, and queue two Rebels at your Barracks for the two Oil Derricks in your base. At this point, I’d advise you queue some more workers at your Command Center and put the rally point just North a bit. At this location, I recommend you build many Stinger Sites. Around fifteen should do the trick. Granger will be sending King Raptors equipped with point defense lasers, but even that won’t stop forty plus rockets coming after them. A note for the construction of Stinger Sites - build them gradually. I suggest having nine or ten up by the time Granger first attacks.
 
After building several Stinger Sites, build an Arms Dealer. Once completed, construct a Radar Van and a few Quad Cannons to reinforce your Stinger Sites.
 
When you acquire enough money, build a Palace. I suggest building it in the back of your base so that it stays alive, and is not the target of Comanches and Auroras. Continue to maintain your defenses through the building of your Palace, and continue to build Quad Cannons. For increased visual range over the river, build an extra Radar Van and place it near your Quad Cannons. In some cases this can help your Quad Cannons attack sooner.
 
Upon completion of the Palace, I suggest you build a SCUD Storm built immediately. Also, build a few Black Markets to secure a late game income when your supply dock runs low. By this time, you may or may not have lost the upper Oil Derrick. If you have, build more Black Markets to replace it. Or, you can expand to other supply docks and capture more Derricks.
 
Targets for SCUD Storm:
  • Target 1: The very best target is probably right over his Strategy Center. You will destroy his Barracks, the Strategy Center, Power Plants, and will damage the Command Center.
  • Target 2: Target his Supply Center. Hopefully you can destroy the two Supply Drop Zones as well.
  • Target 3: Not many other targets worthy of note. I highly suggest you follow through with Target 1 or Target 2.
At this point, you should have secured the game. Build whatever you want from here on out, I suggest you just mass Quad Cannons right into his base.
 
Generals Point Allocation:
  • Technical Promotion: I suggest skipping it, unless you plan on using Technicals to attack Granger.
  • Marauder Tank: I’d skip this one as well, you won’t find many salvage pickups, so just stick with Scorpions.
  • $ General Power: Useful, however not really needed here.
  • Rebel Ambush: Very useful for capturing the Oil Derricks around the map. (If you use Rebel Ambush for this, be very careful, as granger may send Comanches to kill the Rebels.) Demolition General should definitely get this to destroy Airfields and other structures.
  • GPS Scrambler: Useful for the Stealth General to camouflage his Quad Cannons.
  • Repair: Could be helpful, but the points can be better allocated in most situations.
  • Anthrax Bomb: Worth it for one Generals point, can be useful for taking out planes at Airfields.

 


USA Generals Vs. USA Air Force General
 
USA should start by building their Power Plant, Barracks, and Supply Center. I do not suggest building Patriots or Missile Defenders to defend your base, because Granger’s King Raptors have the Laser Point Defenses. In my opinion, Laser’s Turret is too expensive and dies to quickly. For all USA Generals, I suggest you quickly build your Warfactory and, to the best of your ability, mass Avengers. Don’t forget to upgrade Capture Building and capture the two Oil Derricks in your base.
 
There are a couple things I suggest when using Avengers as defense. Keep them in groups of two or three so they can fend off most or all of the King Raptor’s missiles while save themselves from destruction. The only downside to this is that an Aurora can take out all three if they are close enough together. So it is risky. Unlike Quad Cannons and Gattling Tanks, Avengers are expensive, so take all precautions to protect them. If you want to see farther out across the river, build a Sentry Drone from the Warfactory and put it near your Avengers.
 
When money allows, build your Strategy Center, and continue to build Avengers until you have around twelve. This may be a slow process, but don’t worry. Granger doesn’t have a Superweapon to use against you, and rarely uses General abilities.
 
When the Strategy Center is finished, choose your strategy. It doesn’t really matter which strategy you choose, though I recommend you choose one to fit your eventual attack plan.
When your supply dock runs low, either build some Supply Drop Zones(get the money upgrade from the Strategy Center), or expand to the supply dock East of your base. If you can afford it, build a Particle Uplink Cannon. It can be helpful.
 
At this point, you’ve basically won. Simply proceed to destroy his base and it’s over. There are multiple things you can do that will be effective. You can bomb him back to the stone-age with Auroras, or attack him head on. It’s up to you.
 
Particle Uplink Cannon Targets:
  • Target 1: Try to take out his Strategy Center and all surrounding builds, except for the Command Center, which you will not be able to destroy with one beam.
  • Target 2: Destroy Granger’s two Supply Drop Zones and his Supply Center, and maybe take an Airfield down along with them.
  • Target 3: Unlike the SCUD Storm and Nuke, the Particle Uplink Cannon is more precise, so you can take out a decent amount of stuff with it. Maybe the Patriots at the front or at the middle of his base. Maybe you want to destroy three Airfields. However, if you only have one Particle Uplink Cannon, I highly suggest you stick with either Target 1 or Target 2.
Generals Point Allocation:
  • Spy Drone: You can use it to keep an eye on the river and find his Raptors/Comanches/Stealth Fighters earlier, but I’d say it’s not worth the point. Use the Sentry Drone from the Warfactory if you want to see farther.
  • Pathfinders: Granger doesn’t use enough Infantry for this to be effective. I’d skip it.
  • A-10s: Useful in most cases, I suggest getting it.
  • Ranger Drop: Useful for capturing the Oil Derricks around the map, but watch out for the Comanches that might come to stop them.
  • Specter Gunship: Very helpful in certain situations, however I don’t recommend investing more than one point into it, because it gets killed quickly.
  • Repair: Helpful sometimes, but the point can be better spent elsewhere.
  • Fuel Air Bomb: Definitely get this, and upgrade to the MOAB if you have the money.
  • Leaflets: Sometimes useful. Not so much in this challenge, but the plane can be used as a decoy.

 


China Generals Vs. USA Air Force General
 
Start off with the usual Power Plant, Barracks, and Supply Center routine. If you are the Infantry General, build three to four more Barracks and mass Mini-Gunners and spread them around your base. If you are the Nuke or Tank Generals, do not build Gattling Cannons or Tank Hunters, simply build your Warfactory very quickly and mass Gattling Tanks. During this process, upgrade Capture Building at your Barracks and capture the two oil Derricks in your base. If resources allow, I suggest building another Warfactory. Continue to mass Gattling Tanks until you have a fairly good-sized force of them. Then I highly suggest you upgrade to Chain Guns to make your Gattling Tanks more effective. I suggest building a Listening Outpost and placing it in front with your Gattling Tanks to increase visual range. If you are playing as the Infantry General, simply maintain your groups of Minigunners.
 
When you are able afford it, build your Propaganda Center. Maintain your Gattling Tanks during its construction, and when it is done, I suggest building some ECM Tanks to prolong the life of your Gattling Tanks.
 
When the Propaganda Center is built, consider building a Nuke immediately. It might be a good time to start building your Hackers as well. If you prefer not to, you can expand to the supply dock East of your starting position. Continue from here on out as you wish. If you have made it this far, Granger has little chance of defeating you.
 
Targets for the Nuke:
  • Target 1: Similar to the SCUD Storm’s first target, launch the Nuke in the middle of his base near the Strategy Center to take out quite a few buildings.
  • Target 2: Supply Center. Try to take out the two Supply Drop Zones as well.
  • Target 3: Not many other good targets. I suppose you can try to take out a couple of Airfields, but they are rarely full, and he just rebuilds them, so it is somewhat of a waste.
Generals Point Allocation:
  • Red Guard Promotion: I’d suggest skipping it unless you are the Infantry General. Minigunners are very effective against air units.
  • Artillery Promotion: You probably won’t be using artillery much, so I’d skip this one too.
  • Artillery Barrage: Definitely get it. You can destroy some Power Plants, or destroy some Patriots to allow your forces to get into his base.
  • Minigunner Drop (Infantry General): Very helpful for capturing Oil Derricks. Unlike Rebels and Rangers, Mini-Gunners can fight back if the Comanches come for them. :)
  • Carpet Bomber: Usually a good choice in most situations.
  • EMP Bomb: Since it only costs one General Point I’d follow through and get it, if for no other reason than to shut down Comanches idling around his base.
  • Mine Drop: Granger doesn’t use ground forces very much, so I’d skip it unless you want the plane as a decoy for your EMP Bomb or Carpet Bomber.
  • Repair: Can be helpful, but as usual, it can generally be spent on better things.

 

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